Aniki
by Shamera
Summary: Events after the failed summoning of Suzaku. Spoilers for ep. 24


Aniki  
by: Shamera  
  
  
  
'I'm surrounded!'  
  
Amiboshi took a step back in fear as he saw the deadly look in Tamahome and Tasuki's eyes. His grip on his flute, the only weapon he ever had in his life, tightened. Things weren't supposed to happen like that! Everything was supposed to work out perfectly, he was supposed to... to kill...  
  
The sound of churning water behind him was loud and threatning. The river had overflooded, meaning there was no way to escape. His mission had been simple. Take the place of the Suzaku Warrior Chiriko and befriend the Suzaku Warriors. Then, when it was time, strike and kill the Warriors in the Summoning Ceremony.  
  
There wasn't supposed to be any interuptions in the ceremony. No one was supposed to be allowed to interfere with the Summoning of Suzaku. Yet the strange sound that broke Amiboshi's magic still managed to sneak through the heavy doors of the Suzaku Shine.   
  
Amiboshi had never been a violent person. In fact, the only thing that he wished for that wasn't just for his brother was peace. Peace that would come once Seiyruu was summoned. That meant that Suzaku could not be summoned. Suzaku would ruin the only hope of peace that Kotu had.  
  
Yet... the Suzaku Warriors were so unlike the Seiyruu Warriors. For one thing, they were so silly. Unlike being in the presense of Nakago, who was serious and wanted everything he said to be done correctly, the Suzaku Warriors spent their time in each other's company and were always laughing and joking around, merely concerned with the fact that Seiryuu might be summoned first.   
  
He had two choices. He could either die in the hands of Suzaku's Warriors, or in the hands of nature by being killed in the river. Neither of them looked bright.  
  
As Tamahome and Tasuki advanced in him, his choice was made. One more step back proved to be fatal.  
  
There was a slow crack sound as the ground under Amiboshi broke, and he slipped into the stream.  
  
"Chiriko!!"  
  
A sudden jerk brought Amiboshi out of his thoughts on never saying good-bye to his brother again. His arm seared with pain as his decent was stopped with a violent pull.  
  
Dull, blue eyes looked up at his savior.  
  
Miaka stood there, tears in her eyes as she tried to pull Amiboshi from his fall. The only thing connecting them was his flute. The flute that played such beautiful music in the short time that she knew him. The beauty of that music could not be evil. Amiboshi could not be evil.  
  
She smiled at him, wordlessly offering him a second chance, to join the Suzaku Warriors whether he was a Seiryuu chosen or not.  
  
But he could not betray his family. He could not betray his brother.  
  
  
  
"Aniki...!"  
  
Koutoku groaned as he rolled over to face his twin brother, Shunkaku.  
  
"What is it, Shun-chan?" Koutoku asked, his voice tired yet patient.  
  
Shunkaku figeted. He knew that his brother was tired, but it was important! "Do you believe what that shogan we saw today said? About the legend of the Priestess of Seiryuu and how she'll bring peace to Kotu?"  
  
Koutoku sighed as he faced his mirror image, younger only by a minute. "I honestly don't know, Shun-chan." Koutoku admitted. "I hope so." But asking him to use his gift of music as a weapon! And asking to train his brother in fighting! Those were things that weighed down the hope of peace. But then, nothing came without a price. He wouldn't tell Shun-chan about it yet, though. The younger sibling already had too much to think about.  
  
"What if she can?" Shunkaku's voice was getting louder and more excited now. "To end all the civil wars... bring back our parents!"  
  
Koutaku didn't say anything. Although he was only ten, he knew that it was impossible to bring back the dead. Especially those who have been dead for six years already. "Maybe."  
  
"Remember what he said? He said that we were Seiryuu Warriors! We might even be able to fight the Suzaku-"  
  
Koutoku's eyes went wide. "Shun-chan!" His brother immediantly silenced. "Listen to me closely, Shunkaku." Koutoku's voice was far wiser than his ten years. "Nothing can be solved with fighting. Our parents died in a fight. We're not Warriors. We're just two boys who can be easily tricked if Nakago wanted, making us fight for him!"  
  
Shunkaku shrunk back, obviously frightened by his aniki's harshness.  
  
Koutoku cursed under his breath when he saw this. He hadn't meant to be so hard. But he couldn't have his otouto-chan chasing after any false hopes. The real world was a harsh one, but Koutoku didn't want Shunkaku to have to face it all at once someday.  
  
"I'm just saying that we're not old enough for anything like this yet," Koutoku said quickly, trying to make up for his outburst. "How about this- we take some time to think about his offer? Since we're Seiryuu's choosen, then we would have to serve the Miko sooner or later... but we'll wait till we're at least teenagers. How about that?"  
  
Koutoku would be lying if he had said that he wasn't worried about his brother accepting what he said. It had only been a few days ago when the twins had discovered the marks on their shoulder indicating them to be Seiryuu's Warriors. But the elder brother was worried. He wasn't a Warrior, and couldn't even imagine being one. All his life he prayed for peace to come to Kotu, and wasn't about to turn his back on ten years of praying.  
  
Shunkaku looked suspicous, but nodded his head anyway.   
  
Koutoku sighed. As much as he loved his brother, Shun-chan could be so dense sometimes! It wasn't as if he were so much more younger than Koutoku.   
  
"But what if the Prietess of Seiryuu comes before we're teenagers?" Shunkaku asked.  
  
Koutoku blinked. Then he burst out laughing.  
  
"Aniki!" Shun-chan whined, pulling on his older brother's sleeve. "I'm serious!"  
  
That only made Koutoku laugh all the harder. After a few minutes of distraught laughter and Shunkaku scolding his brother for laughing at him, Koutoku managed to contain his giggles.  
  
"I guess she'll have to deal with two inexperianced children as Warriors." He managed out. There was still a wide grin on his face, still as humorous as ever. "Really, otouto-chan, I don't think that Seiryuu would allow children as Warriors. The Priestess of Seiryuu won't arrive for quite some time."  
  
Shunkaku looked thoughtful. "What if that happens though?"  
  
Koutoku shook his head. "If that happens, then that happens. It would mean that Seiryuu wants us to protect her as children. Who knows? Maybe as children our powers of cuteness would increase far more than we thought."  
  
Shun whaked his brother playfully under the covers, but his seriousness was gone. "Mean-o, Aniki." With that said, the younger boy snuggled up to his twin. "Okay, then. We'll train when we're older. Right, Aniki?"   
  
Koutoku smiled and put an arm around his brother protectively. "Right, Shun-chan."  
  
Shunkaku smiled in the embrase. "I love you, Aniki."  
  
"I love you too, otouto-chan."  
  
  
  
Amiboshi smiled. 15 years of happiness with his brother. It was more than he could ever dream for.  
  
His decision was made.  
  
Giving the Priestess of Suzaku an understanding smile, Amiboshi let go of the weapon that had changed his life.  
  
Miaka stared in horror as Amiboshi let go of the flute and fell into the rushing river below him.  
  
"CHIRIKO!!!!"  
  
  
  
In the palace to Kotu, a young man fell to his knees in the grand hall.  
  
Several tears made its way down that boy's face.  
  
"Aniki..."  
  
  
  
  



End file.
